Confirmation Prep – Jesus, Body and Word

Session Overview for Catechists
Slides * Catechist Guide

• Track A: Monday 10/3/2022, 6:45-8:30 p.m.
• Track B: taught Tuesday 10/4 and Friday 10/7 in Religion class (shifted from Tuesday 10/4 and Wednesday 10/5)

Gathering Icebreaker (5 min.)

Track A: activity we skipped last week!

• One Thing About Me— small group discussion to begin to recognize the things that are unique about each of us. Each group member shares a fact about themselves which most people don’t know about them. Each fact followed by the group’s response, “Thank you, God, for the gift of [Name]”. (icebreaker prompts)
  MATERIALS: Plastic cups with slips of icebreaker prompts

Track B: Volunteers may share homework responses to journal questions, especially from pages vii and viii (Roman numerals 7 and 8).

Opening Prayer (5 min.)

Act of Faith – textbook p. 108

Belief, Faith and Trust (15 min)

Beliefs are based in evidence, in things that are convincing to us, either by logic or by observation. By learning more about the teachings of the Catholic Church, we come to question them, accept them and believe them.

Trust is a decision made based on belief.  If I believe that someone is my friend, I may decide to trust her.  But I can also choose not to trust. I may believe that elastic and latex are strong materials, but not trust them enough to bungee-jump off a bridge. There are people who believe in God but do not choose to trust either God’s wisdom or God’s goodness. There is a mutual element to trust that is not present in belief: good, healthy relationships require both individuals to trust each other.

However, we can understand faith as a gift from God. Through the grace we receive in the sacrament of Baptism, our parents pass along the gift of their faith to us.  Faith is based on a change of attitude, a change of heart, not on observable facts. While your beliefs may or may not influence your actions, true faith in your soul changes the actions you take and the way you are. It is a different outlook on the world. Our faith is what leads us to trust in God.

Video Conversation-Starter: “Jesus and Laura”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhnRvb-M-P4

Breakout Session: Trust in God (5 min)

Briefly discuss the video in small groups.

• • How do you define “faith”? What does it take in order to have faith?
  • What, besides fear, might get in the way of faith?  How can someone overcome fear or those other obstacles in order to have greater faith?

Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus & Instructions for Breakout (10 min)

Going deeper on the video with “Jesus and Laura.”  Students will each choose an image of Jesus’ face (found on their smart phones or from printed image options provided):

Then let’s look at Jesus’ face we have chosen, and pray along with the song “Turn Your Eyes” by Lauren Daigle.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X85txs60yY

Eucharistic Adoration (15 min)

A prayerful experience of contemplating the Divine Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, our spiritual food and the “Body of Christ“​.  

​We don’t see Jesus’ face!  We see what looks like bread and ​ we know tastes like bread but ​IS the Body of Jesus Christ! ​

We trust in the words of Jesus:​

“I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” – John 6:35​

Experience love! (what it may look and feel like at Holy Fire to pray in Eucharistic Adoration)

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBFHckl6es8)

Promotional Video with testimonials by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
(what we can get out of Eucharistic Adoration when we pray in this way)

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txuaN5FXgW8)

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Intro to Scripture: Jesus, the Word (5 min)

Sacred Scripture is the inspired Word of God, written down by many faithful people and edited together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  The Bible is divided into the Old Testament (before Jesus) and New Testament (Jesus and the early Church).  The Bible is like a library, made up of 73 books (46 OT, 27 NT).  Finding passages is easy once you know how to read a citation with the name of the book, the number of the chapter, and the number(s) of the verse(s).

Scripture is always present when we pray as a Church — in the words of common prayers (like Our Father & Hail Mary) or the source of the text in songs and psalms, or the Scriptures proclaimed aloud at Mass.

Teacher Notes on how an Oreo cookie reminds us of the Bible’s Old and New Testament
(hard to hear Ms. Rachel Hohner on Zoom recording)

Option to use 2 videos that go with our Bible:

Breakout Session: “Who is Jesus?” (35 min)

Report Back on Final Question Response (5 min)

Homework and Reminders (5 min)

HOMEWORK

• read/do pages 13-18 in your textbook and pages 22-25 in your journal  (you have 2 weeks to do this because there is no class next week and it’s not due at Holy Fire)
• blue Sponsor Form needs to be signed and returned at the next class session, after Holy Fire

REMINDERS

• No regular class next week (10/10 or 10/11 & 10/12) due to Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples Day holiday Monday.
• Next event is Holy Fire at the end of next week!
  • Let Ms. Hohner know about conflicts with your attendance at Holy Fire which will be on October 14 (Track B) and October 15 (Track A).  See your track’s schedule for details.
  • Get in any late permission forms.  Legally, we need them.  Scanning and sending by email is OK, or drop at the parish office (4412 N. Western) to Ms. Hohner’s attention.
  • Know what time and day to show up in the parking lot at Western and Sunnyside.  Check the flyer and your Track schedule.
  • Bring your own lunch, a refillable water bottle labeled with your name/initials, and some snacks.  Some snacks will be provided by our group.  Food purchase lines will be long with limited options, and lunchtime is short.  Don’t waste your time or money!
• Next regular class is the week after Holy Fire – this is when your book/journal homework and Sponsor Form are due!
  • Track A Monday 10/17, 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  • Track B Tuesday 10/18 and Wednesday 10/19 in 8th Grade Religion class

Closing Prayer Ritual (5 min)

Jesus Is Walking With Us
Candidates turn in their beige Commitment Forms & white Holy Fire field trip permissions.

“Open My Eyes, Lord” (Jesse Manibusan)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo6gZAUuQ3E

Candidates bless their own senses (eyes to see, ears to hear, heart to love)

Prayer:

Be with me, Lord Jesus.  Guide me on my journey ​
and nourish me as I continue to walk in your Light. ​

      Open my eyes, that I may see your presence.​
      Open my ears, that I may hear your Word.​
      Open my heart, that I may reflect your love.​

Empower me and my whole parish to echo the ​
Truth that is found in you alone.  ​
  I ask this through the power of the Blessed ​
    Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

As the song ends, one candidate from each table brings forward the turned in forms for the prayer space.

 

• Come to Rite of Enrollment at the 9 a.m. Mass on Sunday, October 15.
  • Arrive at church at 8:45 a.m., check in with the catechists in the carpeted gathering space, get a handout and then sit with your family toward the front.
  • At the end of his Homily, Msgr. Jim will invite you to stand at your places.  Be sure to speak loudly and from the heart!
  • If you cannot attend, please let Ms. Hohner know so she can make other arrangements to get your Bible blessed and into your hands.

Note for later on:

• Service Hours can be done now, submission form open soon; due finally in early February.  There is a Track B opportunity at the Children’s Resale Shop on Saturday, October 15. 
• Plan for you, your Sponsor(s) and Parent(s) to all attend the class session on Monday, November 7, 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  It will take place at Q of A Church so we have room to spread out.  Sponsors who don’t live nearby should plan to attend via Zoom.  
• Confirmation Name essay due at end of November, details & help coming in early November during the Saintapalooza lesson
• Letter to the Pastor due in early January, to be assigned as classwork in December during the Anointed lesson